Dear Friend,
 
Regardless of political party, every American should be concerned when our federal government is using its power to target political opponents, censor information, and suppress dissent.
 
Unfortunately, rotten leadership within the FBI has been doing that over the past few years.
 
From teaming up with Big Tech to shut down free speech to spying on American Catholics, pro-life organizations, and concerned parents to even fabricating an entire investigation into the Trump campaign, the outrageous abuse of power and weaponization at our FBI is out of hand.
 
And these are just a few examples. You can click here for a list of more.
 
That’s why this week when the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing with FBI Director Christopher Wray, I was looking forward to getting answers from him.
 
However, in typical FBI leadership fashion, he dodged the questions.
 
I asked him point blank if Joe Biden took payments from Burisma or any other foreign companies (click here to watch). Director Wray responded that there is an ongoing investigation, but when I pressed him further, he started backpedaling and refused to answer whether or not Joe Biden was being investigated.
 
It’s truly a shame that the bureau will not come clean and answer one simple question: Is our president under investigation for taking foreign bribes?
 
I also asked Director Wray if the FBI will interfere in the 2024 election, as they did in 2016 with the Trump-Russia collusion hoax and in 2020 when they hid the fact that Hunter Biden’s laptop was real and allowed social media companies to censor the laptop as “misinformation.”
 
Predictably, Mr. Wray assured me there would be no election interference in 2024; however, I have a hard time believing that after the past few years.
 
Without significant reforms to the FBI, it’s bound to happen again.
 
That’s why it is up to Congress to reign in the corruption. We have a number of tools, and it’s time we started using them.
 
The first is something called the Holman rule. This is a mechanism that allows Congress to reduce the salary of corrupt or incompetent bureaucrats down to $1. I believe this is one of the most effective legislative instruments Congress has when it comes to holding administration officials accountable.
 
Congress should also use the power of the purse within the appropriations process to cut funding, in particular for the FBI’s new $3.5 billion building.
 
When it comes to policy, we also need to take a close look at what’s known as the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). This law, which is up for renewal this year, is in need of reform. That’s because it has been abused by the FBI far too many times. In fact, the liberal Washington Post broke a story revealing that the bureau has used this law more than 278,000 times against everyday Americans.
 
When my colleague Matt Gaetz (FL-01) pressed Director Wray on how many times the FBI has broken the law with illegal FISA warrantless surveillance, he refused to answer.   
 
These are all questions the American people deserve answers to. They impact every single one of us, and if the FBI Director cannot provide direct answers, Congress must act.
 
Thanks again for starting your week off with the Tiffany Telegram. We will be back next week with more.

Sincerely,





Tom Tiffany
Member of Congress

Enjoyed getting to visit with State Representative Warren Petryk and his wife Jane Norby while they were out in Washington D.C. this week – thanks for stopping by!

Annual defense bill hits the target
This week, I voted to approve the National Defense Authorization Act, which helps set policy and funding levels for key military programs. Most importantly, this bill will deliver a well-deserved 5.2% pay raise for our brave men and women in uniform. I am also pleased to report that during debate in the House, lawmakers worked across party lines to make numerous improvements to the original bill. A big part of that effort was adopting reforms that will help make sure that the Department of Defense gets back to focusing on military readiness and countering foreign threats – and away from its recent obsession with green energy, gender politics, and “woke” indoctrination. You can look through some of the amendments we voted on here and here. While this bill is by no means perfect, and still contains some elements I do not support (such as hundreds of millions in additional funding for Ukraine), it represents a broad improvement over the status quo, which is why I joined a bipartisan majority of my colleagues in backing it.
 
Getting to the bottom of COVID-19
Telegram readers may remember reports about the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) withholding a mountain of data from the American people – releasing only the cherry-picked data that supported their narrative. Like when they conveniently failed to provide hospitalization data for people under 50 because it showed that booster shots were least likely to benefit younger adults. Not to mention that other time that they “accidentally” inflated children’s COVID-19 death statistics by a staggering 24%. You may also remember when America's leading health officials published a report titled 'The Proximal Origin of SARS-CoV-2' which explicitly argued that Covid was "not a laboratory construct or a purposefully manipulated virus" from China. Soon after anyone who dared to question the report’s findings were labeled conspiracy theorists guilty of spreading disinformation. That’s why this spring after the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Energy determined that COVID-19 most likely originated as the result of a lab leak from the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China, the House of Representatives passed a bill to declassify the information on the origin of COVID-19, so the American people could see all the data – not just the cherry-picked data points previously allowed by our nation’s leading health agencies. This week the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus began releasing information surrounding COVID’s origin. Given his track record it probably won’t surprise you to learn that back in the early days of the pandemic, Dr. Fauci and other top scientists pushed for the creation of that report to discredit the lab leak theory and shield the Chinese Communist Party by skewing “available evidence when executing Dr. Fauci’s vision of a single narrative”. Click here to watch my interview with Fox and Friends on how the CDC followed the political science when it came to COVID. 
 
Will Biden's DOJ investigate Madison’s nude bike ride?
Last month, a girl believed to be 10 years old was a participant in a lewd annual protest, known as the World Naked Bike Ride, in Madison. Several complaints stated that the minor was naked in public, except for shoes and a helmet, and her photo was posted on the internet. Local authorities and protest organizers dismissed any wrongdoing saying that there was nothing sexual in nature about the nude girl participating in the protest and that no laws have been broken. Now, I know Madison is in a different gear than the rest of the state, but the world is in a very dark place when parents and event organizers allow a 10-year-old’s indecent exposure in a public bike ride. It’s immoral, harmful, and just plain wrong. Those who used this poor girl as a prop in their protest need to be held accountable. That is why I, along with Congressman Fitzgerald (WI-05), sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland asking the Department of Justice to investigate and leverage appropriate charges on those responsible for endangering a child through the propagation of this obscene conduct. The normalization of child sexuality is a growing concern in America, and I will fight to preserve the innocence of our precious children. You can view a copy of the letter I sent to Attorney General Garland here.
 
Get a head start on congressional programs
While going from meetings to votes to committee hearings this week, I had the pleasure of running into Jackson, an incoming junior at Hudson High School (Go Raiders). It’s always a great day in Washington when I run into fellow Wisconsinites, but it also was a good opportunity to remind high school students of all the programs my office offers. If you have an interest in serving in our nation’s military, my office has the honor of nominating students to U.S. service academies. You can find more information on how to apply here. My office also sponsors an annual Congressional App Challenge, which gives middle school and high school students the opportunity to compete against their peers by creating an app. While this year’s app is not due until October 20th, summer is a great time to get started on it.

Wishing Jackson the best of luck as he goes into his junior year at Hudson High School.

Committee Update

Natural Resources
Celebrating America
Yesterday in the Federal Lands Subcommittee, we had a hearing titled “Celebrating America” that focused on a number of bipartisan bills that honor Americans and commemorate the history of our great country. One of the bills we considered was the Mount Rushmore Protection Act, which would protect this “Shrine of Democracy” sculpture from any attempts to alter or change the name and features of this site. Threats to important sites and memorials that tell the story of America are very real, just think back to when the Statue of Hans Christian Heg, which stands outside the Wisconsin State Capitol, was torn down and thrown into a lake in Madison. That’s unacceptable, and I am committed to protecting these sites from vandals and extremists. We also considered the Women’s Suffrage National Monument Location Act, which would allow the Women’s Suffrage National Monument to be placed on the National Mall. This important monument deserves a permanent home in the most prominent location in our nation’s capital. Yesterday, actually marked the 175th anniversary of the start of the women’s suffrage movement, and Wisconsin was the first state in the nation to ratify the 19th Amendment. Natural Resources Committee Republicans are committed to ensuring Americans can enjoy, celebrate, and reflect on these treasured sites. You can watch the hearing here.

Recent Legislation

Only American citizens should vote in our elections
America must do a better job to secure our elections. There have been clear irregularities, ­a decline in voter confidence, and outside influence, like Zuckerbucks, that undermine Americans’ faith in our democratic institutions. Without confidence in our election system, a core part of our republic­ is under threat. Congress should be doing all it can to give states the power to make it harder to cheat and easier to vote in elections. That’s why this week I helped introduced the American Confidence in Elections (ACE) Act. This commonsense election integrity bill equips states with tools, such as the Social Security death list to keep voter rolls maintained. It also requires photo ID, so that we can make sure that people casting ballots are who they claim to be. A provision in the bill that many of my Democrat colleagues are upset about is one that would prohibit federal funds from going to places that allow non-citizens to vote. But as far as I’m concerned, it’s non-negotiable. After all, if there’s one thing we ought to guarantee, it’s making sure that anyone who votes in an American election is actually an American citizen. You can read a summary of the ACE Act that my friend Chairman Bryan Steil (WI-01) is leading the charge on here.
 
Putting Taiwan on the map
It’s no secret that Communist China’s dictatorship has become more belligerent and provocative with each passing day. From the spy balloon they floated over our country earlier this year, to reckless provocations that have put our sailors and pilots at risk, China has kicked its campaign of bullying into high gear. They have also stepped up their “political warfare” efforts, opening new fronts in the information battle on social media platforms like TikTok, sports leagues like the NFL, and even blockbuster Hollywood movies. China’s efforts to literally wipe some countries off the map bubbled to the surface once again this month when the new Barbie film hit box offices. Amazingly, even our own State Department has used some of the inaccurate maps China’s propagandists work so hard to disseminate – something I put a stop to with an amendment last Congress. This week I authored a similar provision that was added to the National Defense Authorization Act, extending the same “honest maps” policy to the Pentagon. You can read more about that here.

Mental health resource available to you
This Sunday, July 16th, marks the one-year anniversary of the 988 Lifeline which is a nationwide, easy-to-remember National Suicide Hotline that is available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Now, you can call or text 988 during a mental health, substance use, or suicidal crisis to talk with a trained crisis counselor. You can also chat live online with trained crisis counselors by going to 988lifeline.org. In just one short year, 988 has been used by almost 5 million people in need of support. The National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020, which I supported, made it possible to have this three-digit number readily accessible. It is important that those who may be struggling know that this resource is available to them and that they aren’t alone, so I encourage everyone spread the word.

District Update

Hearing from Marathon County residents
Thank you to everyone who attended my Marathon County listening session last Friday. We had great discussions on the recent IRS whistleblower testimony regarding the Biden family corruption, rot in FBI leadership, and election integrity. You might recall from a previous Telegram how two IRS whistleblowers came forward to blow the whistle on the IRS and DOJ’s misconduct in Hunter Biden’s investigation. One whistleblower, Gary Shapley, went as far as saying that they were stopped from asking any questions about "dad" or the "big guy.” The American people deserve the truth, and House Republicans will continue to peel back information to get to the bottom of the Biden family corruption and America’s two-tiered justice system. If you would like to be notified of my next in-person listening session, please follow my Facebook page here. 

Enjoyed speaking with and providing residents in Weston with an update on what I have been doing in Washington.

70th annual million penny parade 
This weekend, Woodruff will kick off the 70th annual million penny parade to commemorate Mr. Otto Burich and his 16 geometry students' 1953-fundraising stunt to collect one million pennies. Their effort was prompted by Dr. Kate Newcomb, who has close ties to my wife Chris and her family, and her own effort to build a local hospital by encouraging school-aged children to save their pennies as a donation. When this story was picked up by the media, in only 104 days, 1.7 million pennies were sent from all over the country to aid Dr. Newcomb’s fundraiser – a modern-day GoFundMe. Now, the World’s Largest Penny can be found in Woodruff as a way to remember Dr. Newcomb and everyone who helped bring her dream to life. The penny stands 10 feet in diameter, 18 inches thick, and weighs 17,452 pounds.  
 
Photo of the week
From bald eagles to white-tailed deer to black bears, Wisconsin is home to all kinds of wonderful wildlife, and it’s even better when you catch them on camera. If you happen to snap a picture of Wisconsin’s wonderful nature, my office would be “beary” excited to see it. To submit a picture for my photo of the week section in the Telegram, please email it to [email protected].

"Anybody home?" – Submitted by Mary in Frederic

Upcoming Events

National Park Service listening sessions
The National Park Service will be hosting a series of five listening sessions this month, with the first coming up on July 20 in Minong, to hear from the public on their upcoming and future river management plans for the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway. These sessions will include an informational presentation about their management plan followed by time for questions and feedback. If you cannot attend the listening sessions but are interested in learning more about the National Park Service’s plan, the presentation will become available here on July 20th. More information on dates and times of the listening sessions can be found here.

Resources  

Summer is just around the corner, so don’t wait until the last minute to apply for or renew your passport for your upcoming vacation. The current processing time is 10 to 13 weeks, so we recommend getting this done as soon as possible. For more information, click here.

The USDA continues to make resources and assistance available to agricultural producers and working families to ensure access, safety and stability for food markets and supplies. 

If a friend forwarded you this newsletter, and you would like to receive it in the future, you can subscribe here for weekly updates and connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. 

As always, you are welcome to visit my website or to contact my offices in Washington, DC or Wisconsin, which remain open for service, if you have any questions or need assistance. 

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